Court Rejects Ex-MP Eid's Preliminary Pleadings, Deeming them 'Unconvincing'

The Criminal Court of Appeals approved on Tuesday a Military Tribunal decision to reject the preliminary pleadings of Hiyam Eid, the lawyer of former MP and Arab Democratic Party leader Ali Eid, over her client's failure to abide by a summons for health reasons.

The Criminal Court of Appeals deemed the lawyer's pleadings as “unconvincing”.

The Court explained that the Eid “obstructed the course of justice and wasted its time for no viable reason.”

It therefore rejected Hiyam Eid's request, fining the defendant L.L. 500,000 and charging him with the legal fees linked to the plea.

In November, Ali Eid evaded a summons to undergo questioning by a military tribunal judge over his alleged aid to a suspect in the mosque bombings of the northern city of Tripoli.

Eid's attorney handed First Military Investigation Judge Riyad Abu Ghida a report claiming that the suspect cannot attend the questioning session for medical reasons.

She submitted the alibi to Abu Ghida, who referred it to the military prosecutor, State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr, for the appropriate response.

Abu Ghida had filed a subpoena against Eid and his drives Ali, on charges of helping Ahmed Merhi escape justice by smuggling him to Syria.

Merhi is the suspected driver of the explosive-laden vehicle that blew up near al-Taqwa mosque.

Huyam Eid called for Ali's release and said the military tribunal should withdraw the arrest warrant issued against the Arab Democratic Party leader.

The twin car bombings that targeted the Sunni al-Taqwa and al-Salam mosques on August 23 have left hundreds of casualties.